Pumpkins
by glassneko
Summary: It's halloween and Ken's making Jack 'o' Lanterns. Unfortunately Youji thinks a pumkin war would be more interesting... Omi gets used as a human shield and Aya yells a bit.


A/N: Now this was originally a precursor to an Aya/Ken fic, but I don't know if I will actually work more on this. So you can ignore the last couple sentences if you want.

Ken sat at the kitchen table, a pumpkin in front of him and a jiffy marker in his hand. He tongue was stuck ever so slightly out the corner of his mouth as he focused on giving the pumpkin a face. When he was done he grabbed the knife off the table and unceremoniously started to slice off the top. After scooping out the inside, he started working on the face. Jack 'o' lanterns were something his family had done ever since he was a child, and he couldn't go a Halloween without one. The rest of his team mates laughed at his enthusiasm for the American holiday, but he had fun. And after thirteen years of carving his own pumpkins they actually turned out quite nice. He had even taken to doing more than one. He had two other pumpkins waiting on the floor along with three mini ones, to be carved next. He figured he could use them to decorate the store. This one was going to be his classic one. Triangle eyes, gap tooth grin, the whole works. He was just starting the first eye when Omi and Youji came into the kitchen.

Ken didn't look up as they noticed him and walked closer.

"How's that pumpkin coming Ken-kun?" asked Youji.

"Pretty good. Just don't step on the other ones," Ken replied, pointing at the other pumpkins at their feet. Youji took a step back.

"Good work Ken-kun," said Omi. "These'll be great for the store."

"That's what I figured."

"Um, can I help?" asked Omi.

"Sure. Have you ever done one before?"

"No."

"Okay, well here." Ken picked up the next pumpkin from the ground. "Did you want to try too, Youji-kun?" he asked noticing the blonde's curious looks. Youji smiled to the side.

"Yeah."

"All right you two can try to do this one. I'll cut off the top and you guys can start to clean it out while I finish this one. Ken did so and went back to his own pumpkin.

"Yuck," stated Youji, with a very unimpressed sound. Ken chuckled.

"You're going to have to get a little dirty Youji-kun," he said. Omi just giggled. Youji just scowled. "Omi-san and I can handle it. What, the big scary assassin can't take a few slimy pumpkins?" Youji tentatively reached in and pulled out a handful. He put it in the bowl and looked at Ken. Ken sighed. "Now do it again and again until it's all gone," he told Youji as he continued to work on his carving. Omi chuckled a little and started working at it as Youji very slowly 'helped'.

"This is boring, when do get to the knife and flame parts?" asked Youji, delicately picking thin threads of pumpkin out. Ken looked at him.

"You have to clean it out first. Otherwise it won't work!" Youji rolled his eyes and flicked a strand of pumpkin innards at Ken. It hit him right in his forehead and as he tried to mimic Aya's evil-death-glare-of-doom™, he reached into the full bowl from his own pumpkin, and threw a handful of orange goop at Youji. It slopped down the bottom of his chin and onto his light blue button-up. Youji recoiled in shock.

"My shirt! You're gonna pay for that!" he said grinning almost evilly. He grabbed the bowl that Omi was still trying to work with and tossed more pumpkin at Ken. Ken dodged and kept throwing at Youji. It was seemed a sure thing for Ken to win, he had much more ammunition after all, but then the tables turned. In the midst of using Omi as a human shield (an occupation that Omi was not very happy with, as he was now quite covered in orange despite refusing to take part in the battle) and trying to steal Ken's pumpkin pulp, Youji grabbed Omi's pumpkin off the table. Ken stopped short.

"Now, now Youji-kun. Don't be hasty. We don't want any innocent victims now," he said gently. Omi broke in suddenly,

"What about me! I wasn't even in your little war and I'm covered in pum--"

"Just put the pumpkin down and it'll be alright." Omi sighed at being ignored. "You don't want to hurt the defenceless little squash." Ken was doing a good job of sounding serious with a smile on his face.

"Are pumpkins a type of squash?" asked Youji distractedly.

"You know what? I don't know." Ken thought for a second. "That's not the point! Just put the pumpkin down and back away from the table." Youji smirked.

"Now, are you surrendering?"

"No! Wait, is this a hostage situation?" All three of them looked a little confused.

"Well. Yes!" said Youji. "If you do not give in to my demands, little 'jack' here gets it!" He held a knife up to the middle of the pumpkin for effect.

"Nooo!" cried Omi melodramatically.

"We do not negotiate with hostage takers!" said Ken. "Release the pumpkin and we will go easy on you! You do not want to hurt the pumpkin!"

"Oh, but I think I do." Youji's grin turned downright devilish. He moved the knife closer slowly as Ken jumped at him. Youji was smart enough to get the knife out of the way, so no one would get seriously hurt.

"Ahhh!" Ken yelled as he tackled Youji. Youji was ready for him though. He lifted up the pumpkin and brought it down on Ken's head. Ken stood up slightly dazed.

"Youji," he asked calmly. Omi started snickering in the background.

"Yes Ken-kun?" he said trying, very unsuccessfully, not to laugh.

"Did you put a pumpkin on my head?"

"Um… About that. You see--" he broke into full laughter. Ken was standing in the middle of the room trying to removed the unfinished jack 'o' lantern from his head.

"Isn't there a movie about a headless horseman with a pumpkin for a head?" Omi laughed with Youji. Ken struggled with the firmly stuck on pumpkin and then stood still for a bit.

"I guess neither of you are going to help me then?" They both just kept laughing. The blind Ken dived at where he guessed Youji to be. "I'm going to kill you, Youji!" Ken wrapped his hands around the taller man's neck as he tackled him. They both fell to the floor, but Ken noticed something wrong when the other man didn't try to strangle him back. "Youji?"

"Not quite." spoke a calm but annoyed voice.

"Aya!?"

"Yes. Now what on earth is going on here?!" The two of them stood up.

"It's just a bit of fun, Aya-kun. Nothing getting hurt," said Youji.

"Why is the kitchen such an awful mess!?" Aya gestured at the orange slime still oozing down the walls and everything else.

"We'll clean it up." Youji shrugged it off.

"You're helping too, Youji!" yelled Ken from inside the pumpkin.

"Ignore him. He got his head stuck in a pumpkin, you can't take anything he says seriously," said Youji.

"It was your fault!!" came another muffled yell.

"Start cleaning now!" yelled Aya.

"I don't want to help, I was not a participant in this," shouted Omi.

"Then why is your shirt so messy?" asked Aya.

"Youji thought I would make a good shield for some reason!"

"Um, guys, I can't breathe right," Ken spoke quietly. He was still trying to get the orange sphere off his head.

"And I was right! Just look at all the gunk that you saved me from!"

"Youji!!" yelled Omi.

"You're a lifesaver kid!"

"Seriously, I can't breathe." Ken's voice was quieter, and still ignored.

"I'm not a freaking bib!"

"I think since Youji just admitted to dragging you into this, you can be exempt from cleaning," said Aya.

"What?! Not fair! I know for a fact he threw his fair share of pumpkin!"

"Did not!"

"Guys?… A little… help?" Ken was starting to have trouble speaking.

"I'm not cleaning all of this up by myself!"

"I never said Ken wouldn't be helping."

"Damn straight! He started this you know!"

"Um… guys?" Ken could feel himself getting light-headed.

"Youji-kun, you started it! Don't believe him Aya," said Omi.

"I don't believe you Youji," stated Aya.

"Why is everyone against me!?"

"Because it's your fault!" yelled Omi.

"Hey! You were having fun, you're not allowed to yell at me," said Youji looking put out.

"Not when I was being pelted with pumpkin!"

"But you were definitely laughing at Ken-kun!" Youji pointed out. Omi paused.

"Well… that was just funny."

Ken made a small noise as he felt himself lose consciousness and slowly fall over. However, Aya happened to be standing behind him, which resulted in Ken falling into Aya for the second time that day. The other three gasped as he fell and Aya managed to catch his arms and gently lower him to the ground.

"Oh, shit. How do we get that thing off?" asked Omi worriedly.

"I'd say break it, but you'd probably whack his face a good one," said Youji trying to be helpful. Aya rolled his eyes.

"Do you have a knife?" he asked impatiently. Youji passed him the knife he had been using for his pumpkin, which was currently taking up residence in place of Ken's head. Aya quickly but carefully cut a line from the inside so as not to stab Ken. They pried away the strong pieces and Omi ran to get a glass of water for Ken. As soon as the thick rind was gone Ken started coughing. As he regained consciousness he became aware of the strong hands holding him gently.

"Are you alright?" asked Aya. His face showed nothing yet his voice betrayed his concern.

"Yeah buddy," said Youji. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to half kill you! I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to get stuck in a pumpkin!" said Youji, who actually seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'll take that as an apology then. But Jesus! I was standing there gasping for five minutes before I fell over. How did none of you notice!?" Omi came back with the water and Ken stood up slowly.

"Sorry Ken-kun," apologized Omi. "We were kind of busy arguing about the kitchen." He handed the glass to Ken.

"Which, by the way, you are still helping me clean up. Suffocation or no suffocation."

"Fine. But you're buying me a new pumpkin," said Ken as he looked mournfully at the broken pieces on the ground. "And good luck finding a good one on Halloween day! And if you come home with some cheap-ass reject you're buying them all next year!" Youji glared at Ken but didn't reply. He had completely destroyed the pumpkin after all.

"Okay. If you've got that settled out, is it safe for me to leave you to your cleaning?" asked Aya.

"Yes. We'll clean it up. Right Youji?" asked Ken. Youji rolled his eyes.

"Yes."

"And I'm going away now too," said Omi. Ken and Youji glared at the retreating backs of Aya and Omi. Then they turned to the kitchen. And groaned in unison, at the pumpkin innards that were splattered over the entire kitchen.

A whole lot of orange, cursing, and even a fair bit of denouncing Halloween 'forever and all time', later, a rather tired Ken and Youji made their way to their rooms. After stealing the first shower and dodging Youji's wrath at having to wait, Ken found his bed. As he curled up ready to drift off, he realized that something had been nagging at him for a while. Why the hell had Aya helped him? Aya hates me! And yet he caught me as I fell and helped me up. I would have thought for sure he would have rolled his eyes and left me to the 'help' of Youji as I suffocated.


End file.
